Disappointments

As much as I dislike all the shopping hoo-hah that happens on Brown Thursday, sometimes a Gal can't resist a good deal.  It's been a long time since I bought anything frivolous for myself, so I indulged in a Black Friday deal for a new curved monitor - Samsung 32". 



I was so excited to get home and try it out .... only to discover that it is ONLY compatible with HDMI.  Huh.  That's kind of odd ... is a computer's VGA connector that far out of date?  Using my trusty Google, I discovered that I could purchase a VGA to HDMI connector.  I bought one on my shopping trip today, came home and got this thing out of the box and all hooked up ...... and nothing.


*sigh*

I called the Samsung support line because the Quick Connect instructions were pretty useless and because my monitor wasn't responding to the computer, I couldn't use the internet to download additional instructions.  I attempted to use my phone to get some help, but the website wouldn't recognize the model number that I tried to enter, so I gave up and just called.  They were no help; I guess these young Millennials assume that we all have up to the minute electronic devices ... "Just plug in something to the HDMI" ..... umm, I don't have anything.  "No laptop? No gaming console?"  ummm, no I'm a 50+ year old woman .....

Forget it. 
I'm returning this thing and finding something else
that's more "plug and play" friendly.

Brown Thursday

Hours:  Mon, Tue, Wed :  6 am - 4 pm

             Thanksgiving    :  5 am - 10 am and returning 5 pm - Midnight

              Friday               :  7 am - 4 pm

I'm not sure the average retail shopper understands just what a retail worker endures in order to get things ready for the Holiday shopping needs.  There are some very long days needed to make sure that all of the things that will be on "special" are opened and ready to purchase.  A Keurig machine doesn't arrive in a store in the beautiful shiny box that you see.  Rather, it arrives in a cardboard box stuffed into a trailer with what seems like a million other cardboard boxes; each must be unloaded from the trailer, sorted and separated, then each cardboard box is opened and the product is restacked so that it can be sold to consumers.  (well, there's a lot involved, but that's it in a nutshell)

By the time the actual shopping day arrives, your retail worker has already been working long, hard hours preparing for a nice shopping experience.  Which really boils down to this:  When 6 pm arrives on Brown Thursday, all we want is for customers to do their shopping nicely, politely;  if you're looking for something in particular, we'll smile and help you as much as we can.  But don't expect us to perform miracles - or worse, treat us like we're incompetent when your needs aren't met. 

That being said, this year's retail sale at my BigBox Store went rather smoothly, with no incidents being reported.  For that, we were very happy!!  Especially me, because I was part of the team that walked around with a first aid kit and all that goes with it, policing the people to keep things moving when they tended to bog up and block traffic in the main aisles.  Just walking around and smiling at people all night was a very tiresome 9 hours!   I accumulated 23k steps just on Thanksgiving Day alone!  (I usually walk a lot for my job and track my steps daily, but this week I'm 22% above my usual weekly average!) 

I hope all of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Day celebrations, and if you were one of the millions of shoppers, I hope you got everything on your list.  If you didn't, check out the deals for Cyber Monday -- from the comfort of your home!   I bought myself a new computer monitor, but my computer is old enough that it doesn't have an HDMI output, so I need to find a special doohickey to make it work!  Wish me luck out in the shopping world! 

PS:  After the week I had, I came home and crawled into bed at 5:30pm Friday night, and didn't get up until 7am the next morning! 

Nightmar-ish Jobs

Last night, I had a horrifying dream.  My BigBox Store
had eliminated all current job positions and renamed them all,
which meant that we had to re-apply for our positions ...
and they refused to re-hire me for ANY position!!!   

Talk about making me feel totally awful!

However, I know in my mind that it's my reaction to what may be factual but hidden from us in the current "holiday frenzy".  There are rumors in every large company, not just mine.  I realize that when a big corporation re-makes a position into something else, that it's supposed to be geared toward "any millennial can do this job now" type thinking.  And, since they don't have years of experience, their hourly wage isn't what a long term employee may be making.  So by replacing "old timers" with "new timers", they save on payroll costs instantly, helping the bottom line -- and their stock holders.

I see a few problems with this thinking:  First, most millennials aren't willing to do what the old timers do.  One example is trash/garbage: old timers take garbage from "start to finish", putting it where it belongs.  Old timers are willing to invest a little time to find a proper solution to a problem; new timers just do whatever is easiest - no matter if it's right or wrong - in order to make it no longer their problem.  And you can't replace knowledge and experience with data on a phone; sometimes you need the wisdom of an old timer!

All this angst and wary feelings for my future in the work force because I'm getting a sense of the handwriting on the wall.  I know a business needs to be profitable, but weeding out the experienced workers won't build the future that a business needs.  If there's an issue with old timers not pulling their weight any longer, then take it case by case, and don't eliminate an entire job genre in every store!

*rant over*

We've seen it over and over again: 

• Sears - Closing!  
• Kmart - Closing!  
• Orchard Supply Hardware - Closing! 
• Toys R Us - Closing!

To me, that's an indication that many stores don't last "a lifetime", which makes me wonder if there's an average life span?  Some stores are timeless, I never figured Sears or JCPenney would be part of the chopping blocks.  So far, they have a few select stores ...... *shrug*  I can't predict the future, and it's just a gut feeling about my BigBox Stores ..... but it makes me afraid of the future.  And just a little bit mad.  I've worked there for 17 years, I stuck with them and helped them tough it out through some bad times, but now after investing in what I considered "my career" they may change (or eliminate) my job, my livelihood?

Personally, if that's what they do,
then I'll be pulling out all my stock,
and refusing to shop in these stores again, no matter how good their prices are. 

Because that's just good business --- for me.

Past My Prime?

As I get older, I'm finding myself getting freaked out about getting older!

Several high school classmates have died - not freak things like car accidents - but heart attacks!

which got me thinking:  Is 60 the new 40 ... ? 

I wonder about this from time to time and while being as physically fit as I was in my 40s would be really nice now,
I wouldn't want to give up the wisdom I've gained, and the insecurities that I've lost! 

In these later years of life, I feel able to do what I want, when I want to do them, and frankly don't care what others think.  I'm still able to work, and my job is physical and demanding.  But if that means I get home so tired that I crawl into bed by 6:30 pm to watch a good TV show, then I'm OK with that as well!

But there's the darker side to 60 as well:  aging and health issues.  While my mother is still alive and thriving at 80, my father passed away at 77 from cancer.   My sister has pancreatic cancer and is still surviving through all the chemo for 23 months now.  Which is very awesome!  My cousin was just diagnosed with a heart valve issue and was going in to have a stent put in, but right before surgery something went wrong; his heart stopped and they revived him again and again (current condition is life support, with continual prayers for improvement). 

I have always prided myself on being relatively healthy. 
But to be honest, I'm a little bit afraid.
So now I'm taking a second (and third!) look to .... re-evaluate. 
I could be doing better - but couldn't we all?

Every week, as I grocery shop I resolve to do better this week.  I buy veggies, fruits, food that I have to cook - very little in the way of the "grab and go" foods.  I faithfully track what I eat, my FitBit logs all of my exercise every day.   I tell myself that there's just no time for more, to do more.  But there is.   I could blog less.  I could stop taking my photos, but I don't think it's reasonable to have to give up on really living in order to be a little healthier.  I know that I can't undo all of the wrong things I've done (or eaten), but over time, every little bit helps (I hope!)

So as I begin my new week, I vow to make a difference:
Drink more water
Eat healthier
Take an extra evening walk

Three little things that are relatively easy to do --- if I can stay focused!

and, oh yeah, make that call for a check up that's a little over due!

Sex and the City

Recently, I found a complete set of this series for $40.  With the summer heat, I thought "Why not?" and grabbed it.  I've been trying to *pace* myself, watching two episodes a day.  This ran from 1998-2004.  I already own the movie that followed up this series (and I like it so much, I've watched it many, many times!)

One of the things that always drew me to the series was the character Carrie, who writes a sex column in the newspaper.  Each episode is usually couched within Carrie's thoughts about relationships - usually based on her own experiences.  With topics like "can we still be friends with ex lovers?"  or the rivalry that can be found between "twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings:  friend or foe?"

Carrie and her friends are all very individual characters, different and yet the same in many ways - which is what we all have in our friendships!  They meet for coffee, for lunch, for drinks, and usually compare lovers, or diss men, and everything in between!   But between all the relationship mistakes, their bond remains strong - stronger than many of the relationships they fell in and out of.

This was originally shown on HBO and I think part of the draw was the outrageous talk, the openness of the characters to discuss all aspects of sex, even the ones that weren't being talked about.  Being sexually based episodes also could have been part of the draw as well.  One quote I found about this show was "Every relationship has an endless story to tell.”   And I think that's very true.  Also, within a relationship dynamic, I think we're each a little bit different as well.  Carrie's character was different with Mr. Big than it was with Aidan.

I recently watched the episode where Miranda had to make a list of past lovers (42) because she had an STD.  And that got me thinking.  I was raised in the 70s and it was all about "free love" back before I started having sex.  I was young my first time (16) and shudder to think of my granddaughter now being that age ...... but I don't measure up to Miranda's 42.  In fact, my number is a single digit. lol  Yeah, I'm not one of the Manhattan beauties, for sure!

**I started this post back in the summer, and didn't finish it, because it didn't seem to have any sort of ending.  As I'm adding to this now three months later, I'm in the midst of repeating the seasons and still can't find the ending appropriate for this post.

Maybe because relationships continue to evolve;
because there's never really an end,
just another chapter.

Which makes me wonder about the rest of the chapters of my own life. 
Now that I'm approaching 60,
I think the rest of my chapters will all be repeats of the previous one!

Avid Photographer

I consider myself an avid photographer - I love to take photos!!   I'm also an amateur, I take them purely for my own pleasure.

But lately, the inspiration seems to be taking a backseat.  And I'm trying to figure out why.

Did I miss something?
Am I missing something?
Perhaps I'm bored.

Sometimes it seems as if all I am taking are photos of birds, sunrise/set or cactus.  Then again, I *DO* live in the desert.





I guess it's all a matter of ... inspiration. 
Or finding what inspires me.

A few years back, I found a small group of folks like me, and the leaders who ran it would create a different topic every day.  It became a lot of work to force a photo out every single day, but that's part of what makes us grow.  I haven't found anything like that again, but every now and then, I run a search to see if there's something similar.



I was a bit inspired on a recent trip to the Bay Area:
a yellow rose peeking through the cyclone fence
and the red on this tree against the brilliant blue!

Maybe with cooler weather, I can get out and
find a few things to shoot again.